Fred Harvey Bracelet and Earrings Set [SOLD]

In the late 19th Century, when Fred Harvey opened his hotels along the Santa Fe Railroad from Chicago to Los Angeles, he stocked his gift shops with merchandise that was created with the esthetic of the tourists who were traveling in mind. Traditional Navajo jewelry featured large stones set in  substantial settings of silver. They were often thick and heavy. The pieces that were made especially for the traveler to take home as a souvenir of their Southwest adventure were more delicate.

Harvey had his silversmiths decorate these pieces with stamps and designs that would remind the buyer of the Southwest. Cactus, arrows, stars, horses and thunderbirds were stamped on the bracelets. These symbols were said to be associated with various meanings, for good luck or protection. The Fred Harvey Indian Building in Albuquerque at the Alvarado Hotel even gave a pamphlet to buyers explaining the meanings of the symbols on their purchase.

This unique bracelet and earrings set features a bracelet with four symbols: arrows for protection, cactus representing the desert, the morning star representing guidance, and the thunderbird track representing bright prospects.  They are symmetrically placed on either side of a green stone which is surrounded by sterling silver drops. The earrings are a deep green turquoise with a golden color matrix. The turquoise is enclosed with dainty silver drops.  

Condition: The Fred Harvey Bracelet and Earrings Set are in excellent condition with a lovely patina that comes only with age.

Provenance: From a jewelry collection in Albuquerque

Recommended Reading:

- Jewelry by Southwest American Indians: Evolving Designs by Nancy Schiffer

- Inventing the Southwest, The Fred Harvey Company and Native American Art by  Kathleen L. Howard and Diana F. Pardue